Developing students' intercultural competence through learning English

Abstract

The development of intercultural competence among students is an urgent task of modern language education. The purpose of the study is to identify pedagogical conditions and technologies for the formation of intercultural competence in the process of teaching English at a university. The methodological basis of the article consists of competence-based, communicative and cultural approaches. The empirical study included a survey of 120 students and an interview with 15 teachers of foreign languages at three universities of the Chechen Republic. Quantitative analysis was carried out using descriptive and inductive statistics, qualitative analysis was carried out through thematic content analysis. Three key pedagogical conditions for the development of intercultural competence have been identified: 1) systematic integration of the cultural component into the content of language training; 2) interactivity and problem-oriented learning; 3) a combination of classroom and extracurricular project activities. The most effective pedagogical technologies have been identified: case studies, role-playing games, discussions, and web quests. The results obtained make it possible to optimize the process of language education by strengthening its cultural-forming potential. The proposed methodology can be used in university practice of teaching English and other foreign languages. The prospects of the research are related to the cross-cultural verification of conclusions and the creation of an integrative model for the formation of intercultural competence.